medicating at package introduction

[MT Don]

Do you medicate for Nosema and Foulbrood when you start a colony with a package?

I have read that some do and others are silent on medication.

Thanks, Don

[Michael Bush]

I do not medicate for Nesema. I have never medicated for Nosema in 39 years of keeping bees. I have not medicated for Foulbrood for 38 years and only did the first year because I was scared into it by all the books.

http://www.bushfarms.com/beesfoursimplesteps.htm

[DC Bees]

There is an article in Bee Culture from a very experienced beekeeper about treating packages.Out of ten packages that he purchased almost all where crashing from mites there first year.

[DC Bees]

My first year I bought into all that stuff as well.Later after much reading,"some from you're site ",I decided not to treat and to start keeping nucs around.

[Bush_84]

Couldn't you just use powdered sugar while they were still in the package? Would be pretty easy at least that covers mites.

[Vance G]

Don do you rush out and get a big shot of antibiotic because you are moving into a new house? Provide a clean house and buy bees from a trustworthy source. Western Bee gets good clean packages. They would like to sell you medication, but that does not mean the packages need them!

[beemandan]

Most commercial package suppliers treat for nosema and foulbroods. I wouldn't worry about that....now mites might be another story.
If you wanted you could dust them with powdered sugar or spray w/oxalic acid.....of course you didn't hear that from me.
Specific to package bees:
http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/cgi/vi...tomologyfacpub